Predecessors
by BlazingLuxray
Summary: Follow Blaze the Shinx and his friends as he tries to find out why he couldn't evolve and get back into his clan, as well as he helps out his friends.
1. Chapter 1

***Author's Notes* So… this is my first story. Leave a review if you want.  
Bold** signals Author's Notes, wherever they are in the story.  
**So enjoy! *Author's Notes***

"Father, no!" I cried as my father turns his back on me to walk off.

"Shinx, you have disgraced our family and the Clan. You failed to evolve in the Ceremony of Light, and you are banished in shame until you evolve or manage a noble feat," said Minato, a Luxray. He is my father, and the leader of a clan of Luxray, Luxio, and Shinx.

"I did everything in the Ceremony as you taught me! Something must be wrong with the Ceremony!" I said as Minato continued to walk away. Minato stopped and turned around.

"Stop making excuses, son. Accept your banishment. You know nothing is wrong with the Ceremony. Your brother, Oran, evolved just two moons ago," Minato said coldly. "Goodbye."

Minato walked away without looking back at me. I didn't receive my name because I didn't complete the Ceremony of Light. I was banished from my clan. I hope this is a nightmare…

Oh well… I know I'm right about the Ceremony having something wrong with it.

Here I am, in Burning Woods, my home. Burning Woods is a lesser-known area of Ilex Forest. I haven't ever even seen a trainer, though the elders always talked about having to avoid being captured in their younger moons. Then there was that one weird Luxray….

I slumped my shoulders. What am I going to do? I'm an unnamed Shinx, a Pokémon that's not even native to the Johto region. My ancestors were brought seasons ago by a trainer named Hikari. Minato told me that this trainer was caring to Pokémon, and when she grew old, she released our ancestors, a female Luxio and a weird, yellow Luxray.

I never understood that part about being yellow. Luxray are blue and black, our only yellow we have is on the stars on the end of our tails, that we all take great pride in.

I continue walking as I think about simple things that are impossible to understand, like yellow Pokémon, humans, swarms of Beedrill….

Wait…swarms of Beedrill?! A huge swarm was rushing towards me, there must be like 200 Beedrill flying toward me…

…

…

Ok, maybe not _that_ many, but there's a lot. Like…. Seven. Anyways, the point is that there's enough to hurt me!

I run in the opposite direction as the Beedrill, but they can fly faster than I can run. Oh, why couldn't I have evolved? If I did, I might know Agility by now, and be able to speed away! Wait…

Oh yea, not evolving is why I'm in this situation in the first place. Stupid Ceremony of Light…

What the hell kind of father throws out their child because they can't evolve?  
Oh yea, MINE!

The Beedrill easily overtake me and start attacking me.

"Why are you attacking me? I'm a Pokémon like you!" I cried as they hit me with their Poison Stings and Fury Attacks. I slowly felt my consciousness draining with each hit.

"Stop that!" I hear someone yell as I black out. There are two things I remember before fainting. Flames engulfing the Beedrill above me, and seeing my tail on fire.

"Not my tail!" I remember thinking as the last of my consciousness drips away.

**So! That's the first chapter. I wanted to make it funnier and give it a lighter mood, but it's the first chapter, and I wanted to get Shinx's backstory out of the way, or at least part of it. Next chapter should be funnier. I plan to upload twice a week, maybe more depending on school and how I feel throughout the week. Any reviews are appreciated, and I should be able to answer the first few relatively soon! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. Sorry it's a bit short as well, I didn't want to reveal too much, not to mention it's a bit late.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter! I've decided to change the upload schedule a bit. I'm going to upload a minimum of two times a week, and try to upload once every two days. Also, this chapter should be considerably longer. Enjoy!**

Ugh… where am I? The last thing I remember… OH NO!

I sat up, instantly alert. My tail! I check it immediately, ignoring everything else. The fur is singed around my star! And there's going to be a scar on the star! This is terrible!

"Er… excuse me? Are you ok?" a voice asks, snapping me out of my panic. I look around at the many pairs of eyes trained on me.

A huge number of Ninetales and Vulpix surround me, staring at me with different expressions ranging from worried to disgust. How did I get here…?

"Erm… Hi? How did I get here?" I asked sheepishly, aware of the largest Ninetales directly in front of me staring at me… oddly.

"You don't remember? A Ninetales in our clan and two Vulpix were hunting when they heard a cry of pain. They claim to have seen you being attacked by several Beedrill, and tried to help you. They managed to drive the Beedrill off, but not before you had passed out," said the Ninetales in front me.

That explains my tail… I hope the scar won't be TOO noticeable.

"It seems vaguely familiar." I admitted. I felt like I was being watched, even though I was surrounded by staring faces, and looked around. I don't see anything… must be my imagination.

"Well, enough about that. My name is Flare, and I'm leader of this clan. And you are?" she asked. That explains her size and aura of authority. The others seem to act the same way around her as the other Luxray and Luxio did around my father.

"I don't have a name…"

"What do you mean? Everyone has a name."

"My clan has a ceremony that Shinx must undergo and evolve during. I failed to evolve, and my father, the leader of the clan, disowned me and sent me to banishment," I said sheepishly. Now here comes the ridicule… They'll probably send me away now.

"You poor thing! How could they toss out a poor cub like that simply because he couldn't evolve? I wish I could help you," she said in a tone showing pity.

Huh? Am I hearing things? She feels _sorry _for me? I thought all clans around here banished those who fail to evolve in the Ceremony of Light… Is that even a thing here? Suddenly I felt the same feeling of being watched and looked around casually. Wait a minute…

There, behind Flare's tails. There's a small Vulpix, who keeps sneaking peeks from behind Flare. She must be Flare's daughter. Hmm…

"It's alright. I'll figure something out," I said simply. "May I ask a question?"

"Go ahead. I'll answer as best I can."

"Is it true if you touch a Ninetales' tails, you are cursed?"

"No, that's just a rumor," she chuckled. "Why?"

"It's just that I saw that Vulpix behind you, and that she's touching your tails. I wondering if she was cursed, or if your own species couldn't be cursed or something." I said.

Flare stood up and walked aside, leaving the Vulpix exposed to everyone's view. The Vulpix stood up startled, and tried to hide behind a very small rock that barely covered her muzzle.

"Ember, show some manners! We have a guest here today! Introduce yourself!" scolded her mother. Ember stood up and walked a few feet towards me.

"S-sorry mother," she said apologetically. "I've just never seen this kind of Pokémon before, and I was scared to show myself. H-hello. My name is Ember."

Scared? Of me? Hah! I couldn't hurt her if I tried. I don't even know any moves except for Tackle and Growl. Actually… I need to change that. Last thing I need is to be corned by those Beedrill or something worse and not even be able to fight back.

"It's fine. If I hadn't seen a Pokémon before, I probably would have hidden, too." I admitted, more for her benefit than mine. She can't be much older than me, a moon at most.

"Flare, I should be going. I need to find shelter before dark, and, with no offense to you, I'd rather not stay here." I said with a glance to the younger looking Ninetales staring at me with a malevolent look. Yikes… He looks like he woke up on a bed of Cacturns.

"I understand," she said gently. "If only I could do something for you. If you think of a way we can help you, stop by before you leaving Burning Woods tomorrow morning."

"I will," I said. I bowed my head in respect, and started to walk away from the group of Pokémon, especially that one with the mean look.

"Mother, don't you have the power to give cubs their names?" asked Ember, making me stop in my tracks. What is she suggesting…?

Flare seemed to think about it for a moment. "Yes. But only in my clan. Why?"

"Well, if you adopted Shinx into the clan, you could give him a name, couldn't you? He's under 5 moons old. He looks 4 moons at the most."

"I could, yes. That's a marvelous idea! Very good, Ember. You will make a fine leader one day," praised her mother. Ember licked her chest in embarrassment.

"Is this okay with you, Shinx?"

I bounced up and down with excitement, earning some giggles from the audience. What? I can't act my age?

"Yes!" I cried, with more enthusiasm than intended. This earned some more giggles.

"Well then, come here," commanded Flare gently. I walked towards her with my head held high. "Shinx, do you wish to join our clan?"

"Yes."

"Then I hereby give you your name. You will be called Blaze from this day onward, and may you earn honor for this name." She said almost proudly.

I'm not nameless anymore! Blaze is more of a fire-type name, but this _is _a group of Ninetales. I should just be grateful for the name.

"Thank you! This means so much to finally have a name!"

"Blaze, you are now part of this clan. Will you stay?" she asked. I looked down at my feet. I should, after all, Flare accepted me, a foreigner, into her clan. But I can't. I still want to join MY clan again.

"No. I'm sorry, but I still want to join my clan again. I have to evolve or accomplish a task for that to happen, and I cannot do that here. I appreciate what you've done," I said respectfully.

"Very well. Goodbye then," she said, without a note of bitterness in her tone. I walked off into the forest, glancing back. _Ember looked deep in thought_, I thought as I turned back to face forward.

Flare looked down at her daughter. It was obvious to her that, despite just meeting the Shinx, she was fond of Blaze, and wished to follow him.

"Mother… may I go with him? I'd like to go with him on his adventure," said Ember, staring at the ground. Flare chuckled inside her mind.

"Yes. You may. It will be good experience for you to see the world, and I'd feel better if you went with Blaze. I see great potential within him, and I think you two will find friends to accompany you along the way as well."

Ember looked up at her mother, all six of her tails wagging excitedly.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" cried Ember, racing after Blaze. Flare just smiled and shook her head. Before long, Ember was out of sight.

"You can't be serious!" said a voice behind Flare. It was the young Ninetales eyeing Blaze earlier. He looked burning mad (no pun intended).

"It is my decision as leader, Scorch." Flare said calmly. "It was her wish, and I'm sure she felt a connection with him seeing as she couldn't evolve when exposed to the Stone just half a moon ago."

Scorch was a Vulpix just a moon ago, and his father was determined he would become mates with the leader's daughter. Scorch obviously felt cheated out of his mate and chance at leadership.

"What about her be-"started Scorch. Flare gave him a look that caused him to stop mid-sentence.

"What about what, Scorch? _You _are the only Pokémon here who believes my daughter is your certain mate, and _you_ are the only one who either didn't see or ignored how Ember looked at Blaze. She has made her decision, and I will stand by her. And that is final!" snarled Flare.

But Scorch felt differently. Oh no, Ember _would _be his mate, if he had to kill Blaze for it to happen. He stalked away from the group, sinister thoughts racing through his mind.

**Chapter Two! I made it twice as long as the last. This is the length most of the chapters will be, or so I hope. I also want to clear something up I thought some of you might think while reading this. This is NOT a Pokémon and Warriors crossover. I just thought that Pokémon would live together in the wild, and "clans" seemed fitting. Stay tuned for the next chapter~ **


	3. Chapter 3

_How dare Flare humiliate me like that in front of everyone?_, thought Scorch as he followed an unfamiliar path. _Ember deserves better than that Blaze Pokémon. He's not even a fire-type!_

It was sufficient to say Scorch was mad. Furious, even. It had been about two hours since he left his clan behind, not exactly sure if he was just walking or leaving the clan for good. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes beside Scorch, causing him to stop abruptly and turn towards the bushes, flames already dancing in his mouth, ready to use Flamethrower.

What jumped out of the bush surprised him. It wasn't a predator _or _prey. It was… a growlithe? The growlithe walked around Scorch, sniffing occasionally but not saying a single word.

"Can I help you?" asked Scorch. Some Pokémon can be so annoying when it comes to talking to…

"Hmm… maybe you can," said the Growlithe. "Have you seen a Shinx around these parts lately?"

Scorch narrowed his eyes at the Growlithe. Blaze had mentioned a clan of Luxray nearby, so it was possible to be a different Shinx. But it was highly unlikely, as it hadn't been long since Blaze had left, and he couldn't have gotten far.

"I have actually. Why?" replied Scorch calmly. He had to keep his cool around this Pokémon if he wanted answers, which was something he wasn't too good at doing.

"Well, this Shinx I met was battling random Pokémon, such as Caterpie and Weedle. I noticed a Vulpix with him, and she looked a bit young to be out on her own. I thought I should find a Ninetales, since I knew a clan was around here, and tell them," said the Growlithe.

Scorch showed no reaction, though his thoughts were churning in his head. This Growlithe was obviously lying about thinking for the best of Ember and trying to find a Ninetales, but why?

Scorch smirked. "I think we can work something out."

"Why?" asked Ember. I fidgeted around a bit before looking her to answer.

"I just think it's the best place for me to find out why I couldn't evolve." I answered. It had been about 5 days since I had left Flare's clan, and I had gotten a lot stronger! I've been battling weak Pokémon to strengthen up. Since then, I've learned Spark, Quick Attack, and Bite! I'm still weak compared to some of the Pokémon around these parts, but I can defend from those Beedrill now.

"So your brilliant idea is to go to a _human_ village?" said Ember. Oh yea… I've decided we should start heading to this place I heard from some Pidgey. Apparently humans gather in large masses like our clans, but on a much bigger scale, like the villages in Kanto you hear rumors of.

"Unless you have a better idea? The Pokémon around here who have been there seem to know more than any forest one." I pointed out. Ember sighed, seeing she had lost.

"Fine. But we'll have to be careful, there's bound to be Trainers there, and I'm sure they'd all be dying to catch a rare Shinx, or so says that Murkrow back there."

"I know."

I'm a bit worried, to be honest. While I was battling a Weedle the day I left, I noticed a Growlithe in the bushes nearby. He had a look of disgust on, but I don't think he saw me looking. I still haven't told Ember. I don't want to scare her.

The Growlithe had a Pidgey in his mouth, so he was obviously hunting. I don't know if he belongs to a clan around here, but if he doesn't, I'm willing to bet he'll be coming after me. Why do I have so many enemies? Is it because I'm an electric type in a fire-type forest?

"Are you ok?" asked Ember with a worried look on her face. I smiled at her and didn't reply. I'm grateful she came with me. I had been gone maybe 30 minutes from the clan when she came running after me, telling me her mother thought she should come with me for the experience. If she wasn't with me, I probably would've given up making my way through the forest a few days ago. The Pokémon in this area are so hostile!

We kept walking in silence when I had a feeling of being watched. I twitched my tail to warn Ember, a signal we developed after we were ambushed by a Houndour yesterday. I've had this feeling often the farther I got from my clan's area, so I wasn't too worried. But this feeling was more sinister.

We were still walking about an hour later, and the feeling hadn't vanished. I could see Ember had started to let her guard down, and decided I might as well lower mine too. If the feeling was hostile, we would've been attacked by now. It was probably just a Pokémon whose territory we're in waiting to see if we had any intention of staying.

Not a heartbeat longer than when I had let my guard down had a stream of fire came from my left directly at me. Ember was the first to react, jumping into the stream of fire, protecting me from the fire. The first time she had done this, I had panicked and ran to her, only to discover her unharmed. She had told me it was an ability all Vulpix had called Flash Fire, similar to Lightning Rod for electric-types.

When the fire had faded, the Growlithe from a few days ago was standing behind the source.

"What do you want?" I growled at him. He merely smirked and sat down, causing some confusion. _Just a second ago he was attacking. Now he's sitting down casually, as if nothing had happened_, I thought.

"Oh, it's not what _I_ want," he said. I saw him glance behind me for half a second, and knew what was coming before I could force my body to react. A paw slammed down on my neck, pinning me to the ground. I looked at Ember, and she was frozen in shock.

"It's what _I_ want," said a voice coming from the Pokémon pinning me down. I struggled to catch a glimpse of the Pokémon, and saw the Ninetales giving me those looks while I was at Flare's clan. He had a sinister grin on his face.

"S-scorch?" whispered Ember. So that's his name.

"Well, now that we're all acquainted with each other, why don't we all sit down and have some tea?" I said weakly, using a line I heard that Murkrow use when we met. Scorch was openly confused, but I saw Growlithe grin.

"Oh, we've got a smartass, do we?" said Growlithe. He walked towards me with flames in his mouth. Oh, shit…

"Back down, Blaise," commanded Scorch. Huh, funny. We have almost the same name, though the distinct "Z" sound was missing from his. "He's mine."

"I thought you wanted the Vulpix? Well, if you swing that way, I'm not gonna say anything," said Blaise, failing to hide a smirk. Scorch apparently didn't find it as funny, as his pressure increased on my neck.

"You know what I meant. Be careful what you say, or I might just forget which 'Blaze' I'm after," said Scorch threateningly. Blaise backed down.

"And just why are you after me?" I asked.

"Because Ember is _mine!"_ he snarled. Ok, now I'm thoroughly confused…

"What do you mean? She came with me of her own accord…"

"You really are clueless, aren't you?"

"At this particular moment, yea."

Scorch gestured over to the still frozen vixen. Oops, I'd almost forgotten she was there.

"Aren't you the thickheaded one?" said Scorch. "Isn't it obvious she's fallen for you?"

…

Ok, maybe I _should've _noticed. It would explain why she came after me. I didn't fully believe that Flare made her come, it didn't seem like something she would do.

"What does that have to do with you?" I asked.

"Because she's going to be _my_ mate, not yours!" he snarled into my ear. This seemed to snap Ember out of her stupor.

"In your dreams!" Ember hissed. She began to charge at Scorch when Blaise pinned her the same way I was pinned.

"You won't have another choice once I finish off this one!" he smirked. He lowered his head towards me, flames in his mouth. I felt the heat as he prepared a Flamethrower.

Suddenly there was a roar nearby, causing Scorch to stop.

"What was that?" asked Scorch, looking around. I noticed his grip lighten.

I surrounded myself in sparks, causing him to let go in pain.

"You little brat!" he screamed in pain as I dove towards Blaise, still covered in sparks. As I hit Blaise with a Spark, he let go and Ember jumped up and stood next to me.

Scorch started towards me when suddenly a shadow covered his path. We all looked towards the source, and saw a mystical Pokémon.

"The protector of the forest," I gasped, barely audible enough for Ember to hear. On the hill ahead of us was a large dog Pokémon. He had a powerful aura about him, and the pressure from his presence was almost enough to cripple me.

"Who are you?!" cried Scorch, upset that this intruder had interrupted him as he was so close to victory.

"I'm everything you know," said the new visitor. Wait… That doesn't sound like the rumors made him out to be. It sounded… almost juvenile, like an adolescent Pokémon. Scorch threw out a Flamethrower, but it bounced off of the Pokémon harmlessly. The Pokémon sent out his own Flamethrower, powerful enough to feel the heat 20 feet away from Scorch. When the flames faded, Scorch was too weak to stand, and Blaise ran off in fright.

"_What are you?_" asked Scorch in fright. The Pokémon got in Scorch's face and said something I've yet to understand.

"I'm the burning in your throat when you swallow," he said. Scorch fainted, and I'm uncertain if it was the burn inflicted on him or from fright. He's lucky he didn't die.

Before I could say anything to the Pokémon, he rushed away from us. I managed to chase after him for about 30 feet, just enough to keep him in sight. As he ran way, I saw him grow from his menacing height to slightly larger than me. And I recognized the Pokémon he transformed into. The thief of the forest, who gave my clan much trouble last winter, stealing food while disguised as one of us, known simply as Zorua.

**That's chapter 3! I uploaded this earlier because I was really pumped for this chapter, and the next few as well. This was one of the more serious chapters, and I apologize, but they're necessary. There's a reference in this chapter as well, and if you can post it in the review, I'll give you a character in the story! (You don't count, Trilby. .)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I noticed in some of the reviews from the last chapter that there were some suggestions for a line break between the characters' conversations. When I looked back at it, I found out that apparently doesn't support all the features of Microsoft Word. I did have a line break, but I used the table border feature, so I'll be sure to use dashes or something next time. Thanks for the reviews everyone, and congrats to Shadow Snivy for getting the reference to "Goodbye" by SR-71!**

"So this is Ilex Forest?" Ember asked as we entered a new section of forest, with less fire-types every step and more bug-types.

It had been 7 days since encountering Scorch and Blaise in Burning Woods. The Protector of the Forest has been all that the Pokémon talk about around here. And then there's the matter of what Scorch said back there…

"_Aren't you the thickheaded one?" said Scorch. "Isn't it obvious she's fallen for you?"_

Ember hasn't brought it up, but now that Scorch has brought it to my attention, I've noticed little things here and there, such as her needing help in situations she could easily get out of herself. She caught her foot in some tree roots yesterday, and I had to help her, even though she easily could've just pulled her paw out.

I've also been thinking about Zorua helping us back there. In my clan, he caused trouble by stealing from us. But then he disguised as Entei and helped us against Scorch. How did he use his disguise's powers as well?

Life is so confusing all of a sudden. It's not bad enough that I have to worry about being targeted as prey or avoid starving to death, but then I have to worry about Scorch popping up again and Ember and the Zorua.

I stopped and looked around. The path divided into two ways; one leading to the human village we've heard about, and the other probably leading to either another village or deeper into Ilex Forest.

I was just about to pick by using the "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo" method when I noticed an Eevee at the base of a nearby tree. I walked over and prodded him awake.

"Oi?" he grumbled rather sleepily, probably upset at being woken up from his nap. He sat up and looked at me half-asleep.

"Excuse me, sorry to wake you, but do you know of a human village near here?" I asked politely. He just continue to stare at me for several minutes.

Well… This is awkward.

…

…

…

"Hello?" I said again, prodding him. He continued to just sit when I heard the slightest sound.

"Zzz…"

What the…?

I poked him again, and he didn't respond. Then I heard the sound again.

"Zzz…"

What the actual hell? He's asleep sitting up _and_ with his eyes open! Slightly agitated, I shocked him just enough to wake him up… Okay, maybe a little stronger than that. Just enough to hurt.

"Ahh!" he screamed as he was jolted awake. He rubbed the spot I zapped him before he noticed us sitting there with confused looks.

"Uhm… Can I help you?" he asked cluelessly. This guy is one weird Pokémon…

"Yea, actually. We were wondering if you knew the way to a human settlement near here?" I asked, growing more agitated by the second.

"There's two near here. Can you be more specific?" he replied. _Two?_ Hmm. I guess our lucks gonna be the same at either one.

"Whichever one is nearest, I guess."

"Well, if you follow the right path, you'll come to Goldenrod City, and if you go left, you'll come out at Azalea Town."

What the hell is a city? Or a town? I shook my head in confusion.

"Ok, thank you." I said and prepared to move on. When I looked back at the two paths, I swore I saw Zorua on the path leading to "Goldenrod City". Whatever that is.

How did that Pokémon know the names of human settlements? They certainly weren't Pokémon names, definitely human. I started towards Goldenrod and looked back. Ember hadn't moved an inch. Is something wrong?

"Ember?" I asked, walking back to her and the strange Eevee. I sat beside her and barely heard her whisper.

"Does he look a bit… odd to you?" she whispered. I stared at him. I don't know about _looking_ odd, but he most certainly _was_ odd! He had started to drift off to sleep again, still sitting up.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"His coloring. You told me that story about the oddly colored Luxray in your clan the other day. Why is this Eevee colored differently?"

"I've never seen an Eevee. I wouldn't know a normal one."

"Eevee are normally brown with a lighter brown mane. Look at this one."

I stared at him again. She was right; this Eevee had a snow white pelt. If she was telling the truth about Eevee being brown, this Pokémon is exactly like the Luxray in my clan's tales.

Suddenly I heard voices distantly. My supersensitive ears twitched, as did Ember's.

"Did you hear that?" I asked more loudly than I intended. Suddenly the voices stopped, along with sounds of "Shh, sh!"

I narrowed my eyes. These obviously aren't friend voices, no matter what Pokémon they were.

I motioned to Ember to hide in the bushes, while I pushed the snowy Eevee into the bush next to her. I laid down next to a nearby tree, pretending to be asleep. I cracked one eye so I could see whatever came from the direction of the voices.

Several minutes passed, but noises of movement could be heard from the direction of the voices, except they were getting louder. They were getting closer.

After a few more minutes, they stepped out where I could see them. _This is bad_, I thought as I saw them in the open. I instantly regretted being the bait.

They weren't Scorch or Blaise, or the Zorua. They were something much, much worse.

Trainers.

**Decided to leave you guys with a bit of a cliffhanger this time. :P Hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave a review if you want, all of them are appreciated. **


	5. Chapter 5

I continued to pretend to sleep. The trainers haven't noticed me yet, and I could see Ember mouthing at me to run away. But I didn't. I know that if I move an inch, they'll spot me instantly.

The trainers walk around, searching, as I take measure of them. There seems to be a male and a female. The male is wearing a blue baseball cap and vest, and blue jeans. The female isn't wearing a hat, has on a tank top, and a skirt.

I can hear them whispering, wondering where that Shinx's call came from. Shit. So they know I'm here.

Every instinct in my Pokémon body was telling me to run, run to my clan and never come out again. But I couldn't leave Ember, nor would I have a clan to return to.

Several seconds went by before I realized I couldn't leave the Eevee either. _Why was Ember the first thing I thought of?_ I asked myself.

Suddenly the female was pointing at me. I've been spotted. The male took out a Pokéball. I prepared every muscle in my body to jump in case he threw it at me. Instead, he threw it in the air, and a bright, red light almost like lightning hit the ground, and where it hit, a Pokémon materialized.

A Rhyhorn appeared and the ground shook as it stepped towards me.

"Uhm… Hi? I don't supposed you're friendly?" I managed to say. Barely.

"I do what my master says," he grunted. "It's nothing personal."

"Oh. My. Gawd. That Shinx is adorable!" screamed the female trainer shrilly.

"He's rare, and I want him for my team!" said the male trainer.

"No way! He's going to compete in contests for me!"

"No, he's going to fight gyms with me!"

The two trainers continue to fight.

I cower from the Rhyhorn as the two trainers fought. Humans are even weirder than some Pokémon…

Suddenly the Eevee stumbled out of the bush, causing the two trainers to stop mid-sentence and gape at him. Aw, crap.

"Is that an Eevee…?" stated the female.

"Yes, Captain Obvious. But it's white," said the male trainer is shock.

"…"

"…"

Suddenly both the trainers were screaming, and the Rhyhorn turned on the Eevee.

"What's happening?" asked the Eevee, apparently regaining his wits.

"My master is telling me to hit you with Take Down," stated the Rhyhorn. Then he charged. The ground shook with each step, and the Eevee couldn't move without falling.

I dove in front of the Eevee, sparks surrounding my body. The Rhyhorn barreled through me, taking no damage at all. Luckily, the Eevee had moved. I went flying into the bush that hid Ember, unconscious.

**Ember's POV**

_Oh no!_ I thought. Blaze is unconscious and the Eevee is left alone to fight that Rhyhorn! I'm no help against that thing either, since I'm a fire-type. What am I going to do?

I started to step out to confront the Rhyhorn when a jet of water hit the Rhyhorn head-on. I shrank back, knowing what that felt like and to see what was happening. The trainers were gasping and pointing behind a tree where I couldn't see. A Pokémon stepped out.

It was… a Vaporeon? But this is right outside of Burning Woods… What is a water-type doing here?

The Vaporeon stood over the Eevee protectively, almost like a mother. The trainers stopped for a while, then the female seemed to be telling the male to do something. The male stopped and said something, then returned his Rhyhorn and walked off with the female. I continued watching the Vaporeon as it talked to the Eevee.

Just before I revealed myself, the Vaporeon transformed into a Zorua.

**Zorua's POV**

"You should be more careful next time," I scolded the Eevee. He obviously didn't know he was a rare Pokémon and therefore wanted by trainers, especially with his snowy pelt.

"O-ok…" stuttered the Eevee. I looked towards a bush nearby and saw a pair of eyes staring out. That must be the Vulpix that travels with the Shinx…

I started to walk over to the bush, but stopped. The Shinx is injured and I might upset the Vulpix if I tried to help.

_Best thing to do is to go away for now_, I thought. _You know the Shinx will follow you, especially after the Vulpix tells him about this_.

**Ember's POV**

The Zorua is staring directly at me. He knows I'm here. Oh gosh, what if he comes over here? What if he tries to hurt Blaze or me?

The Zorua stopped for a few moments, then turned and stalked away.

_What a mysterious Pokémon_, I thought as I turned back to Blaze. Blaze will be furious to find he missed another chance to talk to Zorua.

I have a feeling this won't be the last we see of him, however. It's getting dark. I start to settle beside Blaze, and drift off to sleep. Before I do, I notice the Eevee settle into a nearby bush.

**So that's Chapter 4! I had no idea where I was going with this once I finished writing about the trainers leaving, so it may seem a bit awkward. I did the best I could though, so I hope you enjoyed. As always, reviews are appreciated. I uploaded this immediately because I simply couldn't wait to write it and knew you guys would be like "MOAR UPLOADS" if I took a break after leaving you with that cliffhanger. This will probably be the last upload until Friday unless I get bored tomorrow or something, since I need to take a break and I've already uploaded twice today.**


	6. Chapter 6

** It's back! Thanks to Jagold, I've got a new program to write with, so make sure to thank him and check out his stories! Enjoy the chapter, it's extra long to make up for the lost time!**

**Blaze's POV**

_Ugh_, I thought as I stood up. _What happened? Last thing I remember is that Rhyhorn charging at me when I tried to protect that Eevee_.

I stood up with a jolt and looked around. I seem to still be in the forest, so I wasn't captured. I stood up and yawned, feeling like I was forgetting something when I stepped on something heard an "Ouch!".

I looked down and saw Ember glaring at me furiously. Oh yea! How could I forget I was traveling with Ember?!

"Good morning," I said with a smile as she sat up. "Sorry about that, I forgot you were next to me." I looked around for the Eevee, but didn't see him. Hmm...

"You _forgot_?" said Ember with an icy tone. Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to say...

"Erm... when I say forgot..." I trailed off. Ember had walked out of the bush we were in as I was talking and walked to a nearby one. I followed her and sniffed the air.

The Eevee was nearby!

"That Eevee is in this bush," she yawned as she started grooming herself. I looked into the bush and saw the Eevee. He was passed out, snoring softly and saying something about a Zorua...

_Zorua?_, I thought as I pulled my head back out. _Was that Pokémon here after I passed out?_

"Oh!" exclaimed Ember, seeming to suddenly wake up. "That Zorua was here after you got knocked out! He disguised as a Vaporeon and acted like the Eevee's mother so the trainers would go away."

I missed another chance to talk to him! Destiny is just against me on this matter apparently. _Am I ever going to get to talk to him?_, I asked myself.

Eevee walked out of the bush, yawning. He blinked and looked around, seeming to not notice us.

"Hi!" said Ember with all six of her tails wagging excitedly. I mentally facepalmed. This Eevee probably doesn't remember us except for me defending him from the Rhyhorn.

"Uhm... Hi? Do I know you?" asked the Eevee. Ember seemed to twitch a little.

"Yea, I'm the Shinx that shielded you from that Rhyhorn yesterday. And this is my friend Ember. We're traveling to Goldenrod City. You might not remember, but you told us the way yesterday, but you seemed to be really confused yesterday." I explained to the Eevee.

"Oh! I remember now! A Ninetales and a Growlithe came by and asked if I had seen a Vulpix and Shinx traveling together! When I said I hadn't, the Ninetales used Confuse Ray on me," he said. Ninetales and a Growlithe? _That must have been Scorch and Blaise_, I thought to myself. _Didn't they learn their lesson last time when Zorua disguised as an Entei and knocked them out?_

Ember looked at me worriedly. I knew what she was thinking.

_Scorch is still determined to put me out of the picture so Ember can be his mate. _

For some reason, this thought got more of a mental reaction out of me that I thought it would. I felt... angry.

Looking back at the Eevee, I remembered what Ember said about most Eevee having brown coats. As I looked at the Eevee again, I realized his coat was unmistakably white.

"So... why is your fur white?" I asked before realizing I might seem rude. The Eevee shuffled his paws and stared at the ground. Suddenly, I felt bad for him.

"I'm not sure. Because of it, I'm an outcast from most groups and nobody seems to want to be my friend. Most Pokémon would've chased me off by now before even asking questions," he said.

"Don't worry, we won't do that," I said with a haunting flashback to the day my father tossed me out of the clan. I wouldn't dare want to make another creature feel that way.

"R-really?"

"Really. If you'd like, you can travel with us," I offered. This granted me a jab from Ember. "If you could excuse us for a second."

Ember all but dragged me to a bush.

"What are you thinking?!" she exclaimed. "You saw how those trainers reacted to him! You'll be putting us in danger!"

"I'm willing to take that risk, Ember. I know how he feels. You don't understand the fear and loneliness that comes from being unaccepted by everyone. I was cast out of my clan because I couldn't evolve. You weren't, even though you didn't evolve either."

Ember started to respond, then stopped before she started, her mouth hanging open. She looked at the ground guiltily.

"I-I'm sorry. I forgot that you were cast out of your clan. I didn't think about how he might feel all alone."

I walked out the bush towards the Eevee. He had his back turned to us, staring at the sky.

"So... you want to travel with us?" I asked, startling him. He turned towards me and smiled.

"Definitely! It's so nice to finally be accepted by somebody!" he said cheerfully. I smiled back at him and turned to look at Ember. She was still deep in thought, looking guilty.

I walked over to her and sat beside her. She obviously felt bad about what she said earlier. I entwined my tail with one of hers.

"You shouldn't take it so hard. Pokémon forget things all the time. This morning I forgot you were traveling with me, remember?" I said gently, as she looked up at me, startled by the touch of my tail.

I smiled at her and stood back up to walk towards the Eevee.

"Hey Eevee!" I called as he seemed to slip into another daydream.

"Oi?" he asked as he turned.

"Do you have a name?"

"Of course! It's Jay. What's yours?"

"Blaze," I said as I thought to myself, _Jay? That's an odd name for a Pokémon._

"That's an odd name for a Shinx. Should it relate more to an electric-type than a fire-type?" he asked with a slight giggle. I sighed as I started to retell my story to him.

**- A few hours later -**

"So... a town called Azalea is to the left path. A town is like a Pokémon village, but bigger. And to the right is a city called Goldenrod. And a city is bigger than a town. I think I understand," I said after Jay explained for the third time.

"Took you long enough," he muttered as I started off towards Goldenrod. I ignored him as my eye twitched slightly.

As we walked along the path, I felt an odd feeling of being watched. I kept turning around every now and then, looking behind me. After about the eighth time, Jay finally said something.

"What are you looking for?!" he exclaimed in annoyance. My eye twitched again as I turned around and stopped.

"I feel like I'm being watched, if you must know," I said as the feeling hit again. This time, I saw movement in the tree to my left. "In fact, something is in that tree there."

Ember and Jay both looked, and turned back to me,

"There's nothing there," they both said in unison. I mentally facepalmed.

"Not anymore! Something was there, and moved!" I said. Ember sighed and used a Flamethrower on the tree.

"See? There's nothing the-" Ember started, but stopped as something fell out of the tree with a groan. I ran over to the Pokémon that fell out with a Thundershock prepared.

Laying on the ground was a Treecko. I sat next to him and was tempted to poke him, but decided against it. He had slight burn marks and a bruise from where he fell from the tree.

"Are you okay?" I asked as he started to move. He sat up startled and looked around before settling his gaze on me, Ember, and Jay.

"Uhm.. yea," he said uncertainly. I leaned towards his and sniffed his wounds. He seemed to withdraw with each sniff.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. We won't hurt you," said Ember calmly. _You were the one to hurt him_, I thought ironically. He seemed to calm at her words though.

"What's your name?" asked Jay. The Treecko looked at him, not reacting to his white fur.

"Trilby," he said.

**Chapter 6! (thought technically 7). Hope you enjoyed, and all reviews are appreciated! Chapter 7 (8?) should be out within the next two days, so worry not, I'm back from my break! If you're wondering, I'm using OpenOffice, so there may be some typos and whatnot. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates, but a lot of stuff is going on right now. ****I've been having EOCT's and stuff in school, and the TF2 competitive season is starting soon. I completely forgot about this series, and I'm gonna put it on hiatus. Once summer starts, I'll have more time to work on it. I'm gonna try for a chapter every two weeks until summer starts, but don't expect anything. I'm really sorry, but when I started this I didn't have a lot going on in my life. But the series is NOT over. **


	8. Chapter 8

I yawned as I woke up. _Where am I?_ I looked around, trying to remember where I went to sleep. I was obviously in a bush, and instinctively reluctant to step out into the open. Against my better judgment, I stepped out into the open.

I instantly regretted it. Right in front of me were two trainers, the same two from earlier in Burning Woods. I backed into the bush, unnoticed by them. I looked around, examining the situation.

_Where's Ember and Jay?_ I looked around, seeing through the leaves with my acute vision. Jay was awake, waiting in the bush he fell asleep in, cowering in fear. I couldn't find Ember.

_Now that I think about it, I didn't see her lay down when I went to sleep!_

Panicking more than ever, I looked around frantically, unaware of the amount of noise I was producing by rustling the leaves. I didn't notice until there was a beam of light showing into the bush. I looked up into the face of the female trainer.

_Ah, Shit._

"Awe, look! It's another Shinx!" she exclaimed with glee. I wasn't so enthusiastic about our meeting.

"Another one? They're extremely rare, and we've seen two in the past two days. What's going on?" questioned the other human. I panicked, trying to think of a way out.

"Can I catch this one?" begged the female. Judging by her tone, the male trainer was her mate of some sort.

"As long as he doesn't seem to be with a mate or family," said the male.

_Of course, the one time we're all separated. Though I doubt they'd consider Ember, Jay and myself a family of any sorts._

"Would you like to come with me, Shinx?" the female asked. She extended a Pokéball towards me.

I tried to use Scary Face or something intimidating and growled, but apparently I wasn't as fierce on the outside as I was on the inside.

"So cute! He made a face at me and purred!" said the girl.

"I guess that means yes," chuckled the other human. The female tossed the Pokéball at me.

_AW, HELL NAW! I'm not becoming a slave to a dumb human!_

I hit the the ball with a Thundershock, sending it flying back at the girl. It hit her in the face, leaving a red mark.

"Ow!" she whined, rubbing the spot the device hit her.

"That wasn't nice," said the male, pulling out a Pokéball of his own. "Maybe he wants to battle first. I've heard of some Pokémon wanting a trainer to prove their worth first."

_Are all humans this dumb?_

I stepped out of the bush, puffing out my chest. I figured I could handle whatever this human could have, and run off while they're taking care of it. Sometimes, Pokémon are dumb, too. Like me.

The trainer sent out a Scyther. As soon as it was released, it flexed its arms, showing its massive scythes. I gulped inwardly, wondering if I could take it.

"Any chance you could take it easy on me and let me escape?" I asked the Scyther.

"No way! I don't see what my master sees in puny Pokémon like you. You're all cowards," he scoffed. The trainer shouted a command, and the Scyther lunged at me, both blades extended outward.

I barely dodged it. I turned around and let a Thundershock loose at him, but as soon as he stopped moving from the attack, he vanished. Suddenly, he was behind me.

I turned around just in time to meet a Slash attack headfirst. As the move hit me, a huge gouge was left above my eye. Within seconds, I couldn't see out of my left eye due to blood.

Time froze. As soon as I smelled blood, I knew something was wrong. I'd heard tales of Pokémon fighting to the death, and I had eaten fresh-kill before, but I'd never actually bled before. I'd been hit with multiple Pokémon moves before, but never seriously injured. Pokémon moves weren't supposed to be able to seriously injure, only knockout. Only when you were hunted, hurt by a instinctive, primal attack such as a bite or something (Not the move) were you seriously hurt.

The trainer stopped and stared, and the Scyther stopped in surprise. The Scyther looked at his blades, and stared at the crimson blood on them.

"W-what?" gasped the trainer. He looked like he wanted to step towards me, to see if I was okay, but he just stood there.

Both humans stood there, frozen at the sight of a Pokémon bleeding. The Scyther sniffed at the blood and licked it.

_….Don't tell me Scythers are carnivores._

The Scyther licked his lips and grinned maliciously, an evil look in his eye. The trainers didn't seem to notice, but instead looked like they were daydreaming, oblivious to the situation.

The Scyther dashed at me, preparing another attack. Adrenaline was pumping through my body. This wasn't a battle anymore; I was being hunted as prey.

Faster than I've ever moved before, I started dodging his barrage of attacks, feeling the wind from his cuts as I barely evaded them. I looked helplessly at the trainers, but the male had slumped to the ground, staring at a puddle of blood. The female looked white as a ghost, staring into oblivion.

Still evading the Scyther's attacks, I looked into the bush where Jay was hiding. He was staring wide-eyed at the situation, frozen in place. I finally spotted Ember, in a distant bush behind Jay. She was still asleep.

_How am I going to survive this?! There's nobody to save me, and I'll eventually succumb to fatigue!_

Suddenly, I felt a searing pain in my side. I looked at my side to see Scyther's blade penetrating into my ribs. I start to blackout, but manage to retain my consciousness. Right before I let go of a Thundershock, I see flames engulf the Scyther.

Looking around for my savior, I got a shocking surprise. Instead of Ember, there stood a small dog Pokémon. Scyther collapsed, knocked out. Standing there was Blaise, and next to him, Scorch.

"That Shinx isn't your kill, scum. I plan on killing him myself," sneered Scorch with a look of disgust.

** Alright! Finally, a new chapter. Although, a rather disturbing one. I just finished this one, it's 1 AM, and I started it with good intentions. I put the gouge above the eye part, and before I knew it, I had Blaze almost dying and weird, gory scenes. At that point, I was like "WTF am I writing?!". But I decided to go with it. Best part about writing is the on the spot changes you make from the planned storyline. Sorry if I gave anyone nightmares or something. Don't expect a lot of chapters this summer though. I'm captaining a TF2 team and I have to do a summer project for my AP class next year. I'll try for 3 or 4 per month. Hope ya enjoyed!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Blaze's POV**

I felt my consciousness dripping away slowly as drops of blood fell from my side. I had barely escaped death only to find my savior wanted to kill me himself. Slowly, I blacked out.

**Zorua's POV**

What a fool. He obviously should have backed down when that Trainer pulled out his Pokéball. No matter how much you train, ninety-percent of the time, Trainer's will have stronger Pokémon.

I'm currently disguised as a Ratatta in a tree. Scorch still doesn't know that I exist, and I'm surprised he came back so quickly after being hit with my Thunder attack as Raikou.

Blaze was unconscious on the ground, and I knew that if I didn't do something, Scorch would kill him. I jumped down, and hid in a nearby bush.

Something rustled in a bush opposite to me. Scorch and Blaise turned around and looked at it.

"What the hell was that?" asked Scorch. I guess he wasn't going to take anymore chances since every time he tries to hurt Blaze, I stop him somehow. I took this distraction to drag Blaze into the bush, disguise as him, and lay down where he was, pretending to be knocked out.

Blaise walked over and looked into the bush.

"It's just a Caterpie," he said as it ran away frightened. He turned back to Scorch and look at me. "What are we going to do with him?"

"Fate has presented us with the perfect opportunity to get rid of him. He's hurt, and the other two are nowhere to be found," he said with a grin. "Let's take him to the lake nearby and dispose of him there. We don't want anymore interruptions."

**Blaze's POV**

_Ugh. My head hurts._

I sat up as I regained my bearings. I remember blacking out in front of Scorch and Blaise, but now I appear to be in a bush. I poked my head out of the bush just enough to see outside.

_What the hell?_

I saw Scorch and Blaise dragging... well... me... up the hill into the forest.

_Am I dead, watching my body from a ghostly standpoint?_

I bit myself just enough to hurt. Ow. So either ghosts can feel pain, or I'm not dead. Or I could be a ghost-type Pokémon. But I appear to be a Shinx, so I doubt it. I start following Scorch and Blaise into the forest.

After a few minutes, I followed them out into a clearing around a beautiful lake. But what greeted me when they came into view surprised me. Scorch and Blaise were unconscious!

**Ember's POV**

What a wonderful nap! I yawn as I sit up inside my bush. I wonder if the others are awake yet?

I step out of my bush, and instantly know somethings wrong. I can smell blood, and it's fresh. I run onto the road, and look around at the horrific scene. There's several puddles of blood, and tufts of Blaze's fur everywhere.

"Jay? Blaze?" I call out weakly. What happened?

"I'm here," said a shaky voice. I turn around and see Jay stumble out of his bush.

"Did you see what happened?" I ask him. He nods weakly.

"Those two trainers from yesterday were here, and found Blaze. He was almost captured, then the male challenged him to a battle. He had a Scyther, and Blaze was almost killed. Somehow, the Scyther's attack drew blood. The trainers seemed to black out and the Scyther started trying to kill Blaze. Right before the Scyther could finish him off, Scorch came and saved him, but then said he was going to kill him. I fainted sometime during that, and when I woke up, you were calling out for us."

I nearly fainted hearing about that. But where was Blaze now?

**Blaze's POV**

As I slowly walked into the clearing, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. There was a large, blue Pokémon standing over Scorch. I ducked inside of a bush as it started to look around the clearing.

I was just about to reveal myself when suddenly Suicune started to change form. Where the Suicune was standing now stood the Zorua! He started talking to himself.

"Some Pokémon are just stupid. They didn't even try to fight when they saw me. Not that they would've stood a chance anyways. I have the power of every legendary on my side," he said with a smirk. He didn't seem to know I was there. I slowly stepped out of the bush.

**Zorua's POV**

Too easy. I'm so awesome. Nothing can defeat me.

Just as I thought that, I was hit by a bolt of electricity, and fell to the ground, unable to move.

"What the hell?!" I screamed. I managed to see Blaze walking towards me out of the corner of my eye. Was he there all along?

"We finally meet, Zorua. I've been chasing you down forever," Blaze said with a smirk of his own. "Weren't you just saying something about having the power of every legendary on your side? Why can't you break free of my Thunder Wave?"

Arceus, I hate smart-asses. Even though I'm one. I managed to turn towards him.

"You ungrateful prick, I just saved your life and you repay me by paralyzing me?"

"You would've ran away if I didn't, and I would've lost a chance to finally meet you."

"We've met before. Even talked," I said tauntingly. This seemed to unsettle him.

"What do mean?" he asked with an icy tone. I smirked and looked him in the eye.

"My name is Trilby. Pleasure to see you again." I stared him down as the meaning of my words sank in.

"So why have you been avoiding us this entire time? If you're so confident in your powers, why do you act scared and run from us?" he asked. I started to answer, but faltered. I don't really want to tell him the truth.

"Because... the story about my father was true. He was a thief. And He brought me to Johto. But he was a Zoroark, and I was left as an orphan at a younger age than you were. I could barely walk. I've been watching you while you were in your clan, stealing food to survive, but longing to be a part of what you were. You had a family, and you were happy. Then you were cast out. I wanted to approach you and help you, to become friends, but I was scared. I hadn't had contact with another Pokémon socially since I was 2 moons old. I followed you, and saw you get attacked by the Beedrill. I again wanted to help you, but did not. Then the Ninetales took you in. I watch as you were named, disguised as one of the Ninetales. I then followed you and Ember, and protected you from Scorch and Blaise as the Entei. Of course you know this part, since I purposely let my disguise down early."

Blaze just nodded at this, hiding his emotions from me rather well. I could tell he was surprised, but I couldn't tell what the other emotion he was hiding was. Sympathy? Anger? Confusion? I continued my story.

"So I led you on to follow me. When you discovered Jay, I was nearby. When you basically sacrificed yourself for Jay, I knew I had to help. I disguised as a Vaporeon, and acted as Jay's mother. The female didn't care, but the male pointed it out and made her leave with him. I then undisguised, and started to walk towards you and Ember, but I was concerned I might frighten her. So I left. I followed you for a few days, and disguised as a Treecko in a tree. I accidentally made myself known to you, and Ember knocked me out of the tree. I tried to play it off as I was just a wandering Pokémon, but Scorch caught me off guard. I managed to escape, and disguised as Raikou on the mountain. I hit him with a Thunder, and he ran off. The rest of the story you know."

Blaze nodded again, and seemed to process the story. He sat down, and opened and closed his mouth several times, as if uncertain what to say. He finally spoke.

"Okay, so I understand all of that. You wanted to befriend us, but you were scared, and led me on so that I would confront you first. That happened, but not on your terms. You didn't know I was here. So I just have one question."

"And that is?" I asked. I had no idea what he was going to ask, since he seems to understand it all. His question caught me off guard.

"Would you like to travel with us?" He asked with a friendly smile.


End file.
